


Darkness in the Depths

by Zephyrfox



Series: Goldeneye Reflections [7]
Category: GoldenEye (1995), James Bond (Classic movies), James Bond (Movies), James Bond - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-05 14:25:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11579904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zephyrfox/pseuds/Zephyrfox
Summary: James Bond and Alec Trevelyan leave their base of operations in Kiev and travel to Moscow in an attempt to track down whoever has been sending information about them to MI5, MI6, and UNCLE. Once in Moscow, they face kidnappers and explosions in their quest to survive.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This has been sitting, unfinished, for a while. Thanks to the 2017 WIP Big Bang, I finally got it done. Thanks to Jaimistoryteller for all the encouragement!
> 
> The wonderful [Lasenby_Heathcote](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lasenby_Heathcote/pseuds/Lasenby_Heathcote) created some wonderful [art](https://leavesdancing.tumblr.com/post/163656813064/lasenbyphoenix-darkness-in-the-depths-9265) for my fic. Please go give it some love!

 

Alec Trevelyan rolled over in bed and stared up at the ceiling of their room in the Moscow house. In the morning they’d begin tracking down leads, starting with Zukovsky. They hadn’t managed to leave for Moscow the day the two men from UNCLE left. It had taken them a few days to wrap up their business in Kiev. 

He blew out a breath. When had they gone from being the ones to leave at the drop of a hat, to the ones that had to make sure everything was covered? Even Illya and Napoleon still had the ability to drop everything and go when they needed to. 

James had gone over the training plan for the guards with Marina Popova, a former Army Sergeant who they had hired for her expertise as a trainer, while he and Pyotr had ensured that their business interests would be adequately looked after while they were away.

Lidiya had used the time to make sure her medical kit was up-to-date, and Dayesi had disappeared, only to return with a mysterious smile. He had decided that it was best not to ask — the next morning, Lidiya was smiling mysteriously as well.

Nadezhda had decided to stay behind in Kiev. She had a job tutoring English, and hadn’t wanted to uproot for an undetermined period of time, only to return and have to look for work again.

Pyotr was a lucky man. Nadezhda had followed him when they left Moscow for Kiev the first time, giving up her position as a professor of English at the university. They’d told her that she needn’t worry about finding work, but she refused to be beholden to them. Maybe after she and Pyotr finally married she would change her mind. If they could convince her to work for them, she would be a good addition to their team. They intended to train all their people in multiple languages. 

The lump beside him stirred. “Quit thinking so hard.”

“I’m sorry, love. I didn't meant to wake you.”

Sapphire dark eyes opened, looking concerned. “Are you all right?’

“Yes, just thinking. Illya and Napoleon have been on my mind.”

James’ brow raised. “Do I need to be jealous, my dear?”

“Not at all.” He leaned over to press a brief kiss to James’ lips that ended up being a bit more intense than he’d intended. Not that he minded, of course. 

When he pulled away, James eyed him with concern. “Then what’s the matter?”

He sighed and snuggled into James’ welcoming embrace. “They’re us, you know. In another ten years or so.”

The light in James’ blue eyes dimmed, as if he were looking inward. “Yes, I noticed that too.”

The two men from UNCLE had been after an elusive THRUSH satrap in Kiev. Unfortunately, the unknown traitor in MI6 had leaked information targeting Janus to Mr. Waverly, the retiring Number One, Section One, of UNCLE, which had sent the two men in the wrong direction.

The two older agents, while still at the top of their field, were slowing down. Aches and old injuries were taking their toll. Alec suspected that the two would be retiring from the field shortly after they returned to New York. “Too many years in the field, too many injuries, too many times returning to duty half-healed. Does that sound familiar?”

James nodded. “All too familiar. But what can we do? We can’t just stop. We both have too many enemies.”

“Let's just try to stay alive, shall we?”

James smiled, a sardonic twist to his lips. “That’s all we can do, my dear. Try.”

He needed to change the mood. He slid his hand down James’ stomach, and smirked when that elicited a sharp inhale. James smirked back at him and surged up, rolling him to his back.

James leaned over him with a wolfish grin. “Were you looking for a distraction, my dear?”

Alec reached between them and stroked James’ cock. “I think I found one.”

James sucked in a breath, “Yessss.” His sapphire eyes darkened as he leaned down and caught Alec’s lips in a kiss.

 

~~~~

 

Lidiya Raskova walked into the room she used as a clinic and began organizing. It was only an exam table, an equipment cabinet, and some drugs, but it could double as an operating theater — and had.

They had returned to Moscow from Kiev the day before, so that Alec and his James could get information they needed. She had just left her Dayushka and Petya arguing with the two over various approaches in the lounge.

A flash of movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned, startled, to see the familiar multi-colored form of Alec’s tortoiseshell tomcat, Rory, sauntering into the room.

“You aren’t supposed to be in here, silly cat. It’s supposed to be sterile.” In typical cat fashion, he ignored her, and proceeded to lie down in a patch of sunlight.

She was about to say something else to the cat when a pair of dark arms wrapped around her waist and she jumped. Then she laughed and turned in her Dayushka’s arms. “Hello, darling.”

Her Dayushka’s dark eyes sparkled up at her merrily. She pulled her Dayushka closer, and bent for a kiss with a contented hum. Her Dayushka was an excellent kisser. Her Dayushka snuggled closer after their kiss. She loved the way her Dayushka felt in her arms.

Then her Dayushka gave her a squeeze and stepped back. “I’m going with Alec and James when they go to question Zukovsky.”

Her Dayushka caught her frown of disapproval, and clasped her hands. “Lidiya, Lilyushka, we’ll be fine. Pyotr and I convinced the hard-headed idiots to take the two of us and a few other men for backup.”

That didn’t make it any better. She still worried for her Dayushka, for Alec and his James, and for Pyotr. She sighed, nodding reluctantly. “Be careful. Zukovsky is a dangerous man.”

Her Dayushka smirked. “We’ll be fine. We’re all rather dangerous, too, you know.”

She shook her head with a rueful smile at her Dayushka’s confidence, and reached over to brush a tightly coiled spiral of dark hair from her Dayushka’s brow. “I know, my darling. I do.”

Her Dayushka’s beautiful eyes softened in understanding. “But you still worry.”

She sighed, wishing that all of them could lead safer lives. “Yes.” 

“I have to go. I’ll see you when we get back.” Her Dayushka stretched up to press a sweet kiss to her lips. 

She watched her Dayushka leave the office, and jumped when something brushed her leg with a  _ mraow.  _ Rory, again. What was the silly cat doing now? “You really aren’t supposed to be in here, you know.” Green eyes stared up at her. 

She bent down and scooped him up for a cuddle. He was probably unsettled and lonely with the whole household in upheaval from the move. She rubbed her cheek along his fur and listened to his purring.

 

~~~~

 

“Hello, Zukovsky.”

Valentin froze in horror. He knew that voice.  _ Janus. _

“Valentin Dmitrovich. You have been busy, haven't you?”

Now Valentin began to sweat. That was Bond. He'd heard rumours that Bond had survived the meeting with Janus, and the two were now working together. Those rumours also hinted at what Bond had done to General Ourumov.

“You had some visitors, Valentin Dmitrovich.” 

That was Bond again.  _ Shit! Shit! Shit!  _ Where were his men? He’d gut them himself for leaving him unprotected like this. If he survived.

“Visitors that you've given information to.” That was Janus’ voice, silky with implied threat. 

“Visitors that you've told where to find us,” Bond added, chill voice dripping with ice.

Valentin turned to face them, trying to buy time as he thought furiously, hoping to come up with some bit of information that might appease them. There had been several sets of people looking for Bond and Janus. He’d been certain that someone would use his information to take his rival down, clearing the way for him to expand his organization. He hadn’t thought that Janus would survive.

He was the head of a powerful organization, damn it. He had no cause to fear either of the other two men — but he couldn’t help a shudder as they watched him with their cold eyes. 

Then he almost smiled as he remembered two other men that were interested in information about Janus. Neither was in any way connected with his organization, so he could safely send these two maniacs after them.

“I do know someone you might want to… talk to.” He kept his smile hidden as he told Janus and Bond where to find the two men. 

As he watched the two leave, he devoutly hoped he never saw them again. He rubbed his knee. It ached abominably, and he cursed Bond under his breath. This was the second time he’d seen Bond in six months. Maybe he should simply leave Moscow, and find somewhere warmer to live.

 

~~~~

 

Alec and James stood on the sidewalk next to their cars, discussing their next step. They were outside of a shop where they had gotten confirmation of two possible locations for the two men Zukovsky had told them about. It had taken them the rest of the day to get this far in tracking the men down. Alec held the roughly sketched map. “They’re on opposite sides of the city.”

James nodded. “You know what that means. We have to split up. It’s the best way.”

He scowled, annoyed. James had a point, but that didn’t mean he had to like the idea. If they stayed together and checked both sites one after the other, they risked losing their prey. By separating, they had the advantage of surprise, and one of them would catch their prey off guard. “You’re right. We’ll each take a few men. I’ll take Pyotr, while you take Dayesi.”

James nodded, and reached out to touch his arm. “Alec… “ 

“I know, love.” He smiled at James. Neither of them would say, ‘be careful,’ although that’s what they both meant. He turned to Pyotr, and gestured to two of their men. “Let’s go.”

He didn’t watch James leaving with Dayesi and the other three men. 

 

~~~~

 

They parked outside the building where they hoped to find their prey, and got out of the car. 

Dayesi frowned. The building looked abandoned. Their informant had said this was one of the two locations he thought the men they were looking for were holed up. Perhaps Alec would have more luck at the second location.

James turned to her. “Take Lev and go around back. I’ll take the front with Rodion and Filipp.”

“Right.” She gave him an almost military nod, then turned to Lev, indicating the alley with her chin. “Let’s go.” 

She and Lev were at the rear corner of the building when they heard squealing tires and gunshots from the front.

“Shit!” She spun, and with Lev at her heels, raced for the front of the building. They both drew their pistols, holding them up, ready for whatever was happening.

They skidded to a halt at the mouth of the alley. Rodion was sprawled on the ground, looking dazed. Filipp was lying next to him, covered in blood. Unconscious? Dead? She couldn’t spare any concern for them. Two men were dragging an unconscious James toward a van.

She and Lev opened fire, taking care to not hit their boss. 

The van roared to life and slewed around between them and the men with James. The driver glared at them and leaned forward, allowing the man in the passenger seat to aim past him.

She and Lev dropped to the pavement to avoid the hail of bullets.

Dayesi looked up as the spray of bullets ended, and cursed as the van took off to careen around the corner. She picked herself up, still swearing. A glance at Filipp showed more holes, and more blood. He was dead. Rodion was struggling to sit up, blood coating his side, and Lev was still down, gasping for breath. She holstered her pistol, then dropped to her knees beside Lev.

_ Shit. _ She needed something to stop the bleeding. Something clattered to the ground next to her as she pulled off her jacket. Startled, she looked down to see her mobile phone. She wasn’t used to carrying one, and had forgotten that she had it. She ignored it for the time being as she wadded up the jacket to press it over Lev’s wound.

Lev’s eyes widened from the sudden shock of pain.

“Hold that, tight as you can. I’m going to help you to the car.”

Lev nodded weakly.

She looked at Rodion. She’d get no help there. She’d be lucky if he could get to the car on his own.

“All right, Lev. On three.” She scooped up the phone, transferring it to her back pocket, then helped Lev up. “Rodion, look at me. Can you get to the car by yourself?”

Rodion looked up at her, squinting, but nodded after a moment. He slowly got to his feet.

When she was sure Rodion was able to get up on his own without falling over, she turned her attention back to Lev and hauled him to his feet. It was a difficult, halting process. Lev was much taller and heavier than she was, but then, she had always been stubborn.

Once all three of them were more or less vertical, she started for the car, Lev’s bulk throwing her off balance. Rodion was no better, although he at least could walk on his own. They looked like three drunks trying to make it home after an all-night bender.

Once she had Lev in the back seat, she checked on Rodion, and made sure he would be able to hold pressure on his own wound as well as Lev’s. Then she slid into the driver’s seat and started the car. She put it in gear and pulled into traffic, hitting the speed dial on the mobile for Lidiya.

After she told her lover to get her surgery ready for two customers, she made the call she dreaded. “Alec? Get back to the safe house, now. I’ll explain when I see you.”

She hung up over his increasingly urgent questions. She didn’t want to think of what his reaction would be when he found out that his lover had been kidnapped.

 

~~~~

 

Lidiya worked, tight-lipped, on Lev. Her new assistant, Vitaliy, worked as her surgical nurse. She had been afraid that her Dayushka had been injured too, when she’d seen them come into the house, covered in Lev’s and Rodion’s blood. Rodion was next for surgery; he hadn’t been as close to death as Lev.  As it was, Lev was lucky to be alive at all. James had been kidnapped, and the men with him had been left for dead.

Her Dayushka had been behind the building with Lev while James, Rodion, and Filipp had been attacked outside. It had been luck that her Dayushka hadn’t been hurt when she and Lev jumped into the fray when they realized James was being attacked. It would have been so easy for it to have been her Dayushka lying on this table, under her knife. Or worse. Lying on the street in a pool of her own blood.

She closed her eyes for a moment. She needed to concentrate on saving Lev. Her Dayushka was fine. She needed to make sure that her patients would be fine, too.

 

~~~~

 

“Alec, stop.” Dayesi’s voice was firm.

He stopped short, whirling on her. His face was furious as he snarled, “Someone has James!”

“I know, but going off half-cocked isn’t going to bring him back.” She had to keep herself calm, in the hopes that Alec would calm down as well.

He bared his teeth at her. “I will tear this city apart to find him.”

She adjusted her stance, letting her body language show she was unimpressed. “Don’t be stupid, Alec. We need information. We don’t know who might have taken James or where they would have taken him.”

He snarled once more and started for the garage. “I’m going to find James.”

“Hey, boss.”

Alec stopped at the sound of Pyotr’s voice coming from the hall.

“I found out how they knew where James was.” Pyotr entered the room, pushing one of their men in front of him. 

“What’s going on?” Alec’s eyes went from Pyotr to the other man.

“This one,” Pyotr shoved the terrified man to his knees, “is the one who betrayed us.”

Dayesi watched Alec’s eyes go flat as he stalked toward the man. She smiled, enjoying the way the traitor’s eyes widened in fear at the sight.  _ Good.  _ The traitor should be afraid. 

Alec stared down at the traitor. When he spoke, his voice was silky with threat. “Hello, Vsevolod. You’re going to be  _ very _ cooperative, aren’t you?”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec tracks down the ones who took James and gets him back.

 

Dayesi watched Alec out of the corner of her eye. James had only a been back in Alec’s life for a few months, and already it seemed wrong to see Alec without James at his side. What made it worse was the reason that James wasn’t there.

She had seen Alec go from shaking with rage to completely still, utterly focused on his goal — to get James back. She could almost pity the current target of his focus. Almost. Vsevolod had betrayed them. If Alec didn’t kill him, she would.

Alec finally stepped back, away from the prisoner, his lips twisting into a cruel smile. He picked up the towel on the table next to him, giving it a shake before wiping the blood spatter from his face. He tossed the towel to the floor as he spun on his heel and headed for the hallway. “Bring him.”

Dayesi traded a glance with Pyotr. That order had been emotionless. Pyotr lifted one shoulder in a slight shrug, then gestured to Semyon and Vadim to get the prisoner.

She caught up with Alec as he opened the door to the garage, with the others trailing behind them like ducklings. Maksim went to the driver’s seat of the first car, while Alec opened the back door. She was preparing to slide into the back seat after him, when he stopped and turned to her.

“I want you to stay here.” His face was set and angry, and raised a hand sharply when she was about to protest. “No. I want you to be prepared for an attack.”

That stopped her. Lidiya, Vitaliy, and the wounded would be vulnerable. “Do you think that’s likely?”

“I have to think it’s a possibility. I'm not taking any chances right now.” Alec looked towards the second car where Pyotr, Semyon, and Vadim had taken the prisoner. When he turned back to her his eyes were cold. “Stay here, Dayusha. Be ready for anything.”

“Of course.” She watched as Alec got into the car and shut the door. She bent down to the open window. “Good hunting.”

Alec bared his teeth in a predator’s smile, then snapped, “Drive.”

Maksim simply started the car, put it in gear, and pulled out of the garage. Dayesi approved. It was a chancy business to deal with Janus in this mood.

 

~~~~

 

Alec got out of the car and surveyed the warehouse. It had an air that spoke of disuse, but the doors sported brand new locks. It didn’t matter if the warehouse was being used for shipping or other purposes. The locks wouldn’t keep him out. Someone had taken James, and _he would get James back._

Pyotr had brought Vsevolod to him. If he hadn’t been so furious he’d be disappointed that one of the men he trusted had betrayed him. Vsevolod had been with him almost as long as Pyotr.

It turned out that the traitor didn’t like the idea of his boss with another man, so he’d sold — _sold!_ — James to someone, and told them where to find him.

Vsevolod had claimed that he didn’t know who he’d dealt with, and from the way he’d spilled information about that meeting, that was likely true.

He’d at least gotten a location out of the man. He waited while his other men joined him. “Misha, stay here with the traitor.”

Misha nodded, and took up a ready stance by the car. “Yes, sir.”

He scanned the warehouse at the end of the street. James was in there. It was time to get him back. “Let’s go.”

 

~~~~

 

Alec paused, listening carefully, after he entered the warehouse. Pyotr slipped past, silent as a ghost, to take up a position a few feet in front of him. Their men followed closely after, fanning out in a semi-circle between them, and waited for orders.

Pyotr looked back at him, and he nodded. At the prearranged signal, they separated, spreading out on their assigned paths throughout the warehouse. They had no idea where James was, just that he was being held somewhere in the building.

One of his men, Semyon, accidentally caught his eye and paled before hurriedly turning away to cross the open floor to the stairs leading to the offices on the next floor.

Alec knew his men were apprehensive about his reaction, but he didn’t care. Their unknown enemy had taken _his_ James, and he would make them regret that until the ends of their lives — however short those lives might be.

So far, they had eliminated the man guarding the warehouse outside. Unfortunately, that man hadn’t survived long enough to tell him how many men they faced inside. The man hadn’t been able to raise an alarm, either, so he still had the advantage of surprise.

His earwig clicked on, and Semyon’s voice whispered, “One down, upper floor, southwest corner.”

Hard on the heels of that announcement, Maksim chimed in with, “One down, upper floor, northeast corner.”

Vadim was next. “Lower floor, north side, all clear.”

He had just ducked behind a stack of empty shipping crates when he heard Pyotr.

“Boss, office area, warehouse level.”

His heart leaped. _James!_ He stepped out from behind the crates and dropped the guard he had spotted. “Acknowledged. On my way. One down, warehouse floor, southeast corner. Stay alert everyone. We don’t know how many there are left.”

 

~~~~

 

He reached the door to the office area and took a deep breath, trying to rein in his flaring temper. He needed a cool head, he couldn't let his anger take control.

He opened the door and found himself in an open area with a high counter. Beyond that was a dark hallway. He listened, but couldn’t hear any sound to give Pyotr’s position away.

Then a scream shattered the silence and he was moving down the hall before the echoes died. He stopped where the hallway met another and peeked around the corner.

Pyotr was there, alternating looking at a door in front of him and down the hall. Pyotr spotted him and beckoned him closer.

He joined Pyotr, who motioned towards himself and the door, and then towards Alec with an open palm.

He wanted to snarl _no._ He wanted to be the one to break down the door. But logic asserted itself. He would be able to enter as soon the door was gone, while Pyotr would be slowed down. He nodded.

Pyotr gathered himself and kicked the door, just under the knob, where it met the jamb. The door splintered, and Pyotr was shoving it open with his shoulder and ducking down, bringing his pistol up and searching for a target.

He followed as soon as the there was room for him to get around Pyotr. His immediate impression of the room was movement, because there was James, shoving the chair he was tied to back and kicking out at the man closest to him.

He heard Pyotr’s pistol bark, and one of their opponents fell. His own pistol was up and aiming at the second man in the room, and he fired as he crossed to James.

A discarded cattle prod lay on the ground, still humming evilly. He wanted to shoot the stunned man lying on the floor beside James, but held himself back, simply keeping the man in his sights. They needed one prisoner to interrogate.

Pyotr came up beside him and took up guard duty. “The other two are dead, boss. I’ve got this one.”

He nodded, and fell to his knees beside James, untying the ropes.

James was stripped to the waist. His face had been left relatively unmarked save for a bruise on one cheek and a split lip that bled sluggishly. The majority of the damage Alec could see were the cuts and bruises along with some burns marking James’ torso where the interrogators had gotten overly enthusiastic. Alec was glad they were dead. Stormy blue eyes tried to focus on him.

“Alec?” James’ voice was rough from screaming. Better to scream yourself hoarse and be unable to answer questions.

“Yes, it’s me, love.” He helped James to stand, wobbling, next to the overturned chair, and took the ropes to their prisoner. Taking care not to block Pyotr’s aim, he tied their still unconscious prisoner.

Pyotr spoke up as Alec finished with the prisoner. “I’ll find James’ clothes.”

Alec nodded his thanks, and went to James, who was still standing there, shivering in the warehouse’s chill air. He wanted to hold onto James, but didn’t quite dare. If he did, he’d never let go, and they still needed to get out of the warehouse.

James’ eyes were looking more clear. When they snapped to his side, Alec turned and aimed in a fluid motion to face down whatever threat James had seen. He found himself staring down his sights at Pyotr.

Pyotr waited until he lowered the pistol, then approached and righted the chair to place James’ shirt and coat on it. As he turned to leave, he said, “I’ll finish the sweep of the building.”

“Right.” Alec picked up the shirt, and had to help James into it. As he buttoned the shirt, he could feel his hands begin to tremble. Halfway up James’ chest, the shaking became so bad that James’ hand came up to cover his, and moved it gently over an inch.

He stared at their paired hands, resting over James’ still beating heart. Then he looked up into his lover’s deep blue eyes. “James…”

James’ forehead lowered to touch his. “I know, Alec.”

 _No, you don’t,_ he wanted to yell. Instead, he just whispered, “Don’t ever leave me.”

They stood there, sharing breath, until he realized that James was still shivering. _Idiot._ He was a selfish fool. “You’re cold, I’m sorry.” He finished buttoning James’ shirt, then helped him on with his coat. When he was done, he looked into James’ eyes again.

James murmured, “It’s all right.”

“Yeah. Are you ready?” At James’ nod, he reluctantly pulled himself away and knelt beside the remaining kidnapper.

“Hey.” He slapped the man’s face. “Wakey, wakey.”

The prisoner stirred, trying to shift away from the slaps before fully waking, opening hazel eyes that went wide with terror.

He bared his teeth in a wolfish grin. “You know who you’ve crossed, don’t you.” It wasn’t a question. The prisoner nodded anyway, terrified eyes never leaving his face.

James knelt beside him, moving stiffly. He stifled the flash of rage that this creature had hurt his James.

“Tell us what we want to know.” James’ voice was as cold as the Siberian winter, and his eyes were no warmer.

The prisoner shrank back, although there was nowhere he could go. “Why should I? You’ll kill me anyway.”

“Yes. We’ll _just_ kill you.” Alec smiled, cold and cruel, and watched as their prisoner turned even paler than before.

“If you don’t tell us, you’ll wish we _had_ killed you,” James added. “You do recall, don’t you, what happened to Ourumov?”

Alec had to shift away as the smell of urine heralded a puddle spreading out from under the prisoner. He exchanged a grimace with James, and then he hauled their prisoner to the chair James had been in and tied their prisoner to it.

Alec watched as James stared at their prisoner, still shivering slightly. He obviously wasn’t as recovered as he tried to project. Alec fought the urge to have James wait, to rest and relax, before they interrogated their prisoner. He knew that James wouldn’t appreciate the coddling any more than he himself would.

Their prisoner stared at them, eyes wide in terror.

“Yes, be afraid.” James smiled at their prisoner, more a predator’s baring of teeth than anything with humor in it. “I’m going to show you how an interrogation ought to be conducted.”

Alec smirked. He did so love watching James work. While James demonstrated to their prisoner the consequences of refusing to speak, Alec waited, watching carefully. He took over when he saw James getting tired.

They weren’t learning much from their prisoner. He had been hired through intermediaries, so he had no idea who actually hired him. At least the prisoner confirmed that the only traitor they had in their organization — that he knew of — was Vsevolod.

“That’s it. He’s got nothing else.” Alec huffed, frustrated, and then looked towards James. He held his arm out in silent invitation.

James came close and leaned into him. “Do you want to kill him, or shall I?”

Alec nuzzled at James’ ear. “Go right ahead, love.”

James drew his gun from its holster, aimed, and fired before turning to catch Alec’s lips in a deep kiss.

He waited for James to reholster the gun before pulling him close. He tasted the blood in James’ mouth as their kiss reopened the split lip and he moaned.

James responded by pulling him closer.

Alec shifted his grip, only to shift it back when James flinched in plain. He gently slid his hands under James’ coat to stroke his back in apology. His fingers then sought out James’ belt buckle of their own accord, stopping only when he heard someone clearing their throat. They broke apart enough for James’ forehead to rest on his as they tried to bring their breathing under control.

“What?” He tried not to snap at Pyotr, but he couldn’t keep annoyance out of his voice.

“The building is clear. We’re going to do cleanup, if you and James want to leave.”

God, _yes,_ he wanted to leave. He wanted to take James home, somewhere safe.  Feeling oddly drunk, he shook his head. He needed to get out, away from James, to clear his head. “I’m going to the car. I should call Dayesi and Lidiya, let them know we’ve got you.”

James seemed to understand, and nodded. “I’ll be right behind you. I’ll check the dead, to make sure you got all of them.”

“Good.” He turned and made his way out of the warehouse, fighting the urge to go back and make sure that James was still all right.

 

~~~~

 

James watched Alec leave and tried to bring his rioting emotions under control. Too much had happened in too short a time. Kidnapped, interrogated, rescued, then frustrated by the lack of information from their prisoner — and then that kiss. He still felt Alec’s warmth pressed against him, Alec’s lips against his.

Pyotr eyed him. “Are you all right, boss?”

James hid the pain from his wounds and from his clothes brushing against the burns. “Yes. I will be, at any rate. Let’s go.”

Pyotr led him towards the back of the warehouse, where their men had gathered the bodies. James looked them over. All of the men involved in kidnapping him were there, dead. “That's all of them.”

“Make sure this looks like a deal gone wrong.” Pyotr looked each of their men in the eyes. “Do you have any questions?”

Semyon spoke for the others. “No. We've got it under control.”

“Good.” James paused, but then shrugged. He had no further orders to add to Pyotr’s. Right now, he just wanted to go home and curl up with Alec in their bed, and not _hurt_ anymore. He looked at Pyotr and inclined his head towards the exit. Pyotr nodded, and hovered at his back as they headed out into the sunshine. Hadn't it been evening when he'd been captured? He'd lost time. He'd have to ask how much —

Movement on the top of the building caught James’ eye. He turned towards it and recognized Xenia Onatopp. His gut went cold when he saw the long tube she carried; it was a LAW rocket.

Onatopp raised the tube, aiming at —

 _Ohgodno_ she was aiming at the car and Alec wasn’t far enough away from their car and James wouldn’t be able to get there in time and —

The rocket’s roar cut off that thought and James stared, stunned, as the car exploded in a fiery ball of flame, sending Alec’s body hurtling through the air.

 _“Noooooo!”_ The anguished cry ripped from his throat as the heat and pressure from the blast tore at his hair and clothes.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James deals - poorly - with the aftermath of the explosion.

 

James stared, frozen, in shocked disbelief. His Walther appeared in his hand, aiming and firing at Onatopp without his conscious control. Then he was racing for the crumpled body lying still — so still! — on the pavement. He dimly registered that the insane woman’s orgasmic shrieks cut off abruptly as her face exploded in a haze of blood and gore.  

He knelt beside the body on the ground, a thin strand of sanity keeping him from grabbing Alec into his arms. “I love you, you stupid bastard, don’t be dead,” he muttered, blinking away the tears that kept leaking without permission from his eyes.

Alec was lying on his side, arms and legs twisted around him. James just stared, not wanting to touch, not wanting to  _ know _ that his lover was dead. Not sure he’d be able to survive Alec’s death this time. 

Then Alec groaned, stirring slightly, and James let out a sob in relief. He pulled Alec up, carefully, into his lap, just wanting to hold his lover. He tucked Alec inside his still unbuttoned coat. Alec was just conscious enough to burrow into his chest.

The sound of a shoe scraping the pavement nearby had James pulling out his Walther again, aiming at the intruder.

Bogdan stilled, holding his hands up and away from his body. “Easy there, boss. It’s just me. Can I come closer?”

James stayed silent, the Walther’s barrel never wavering from Bogdan’s center mass.

“All right, I’ll just stay here.” Bogdan’s voice was steady as he kept his eyes focused on James, never looking at the gun aimed directly at him. “We need to move. The police will show up shortly. We need to take Alec somewhere safe.”

James breathed, turning Bogdan’s words over in his mind. Bogdan was smart, appealing to his protective streak. They did need to get away, and soon. But who could he trust? Who had let slip to Onatopp that they would be here? One of their men? Bogdan?

“James....”

It was Alec, stirring in his arms. He turned his attention away from Bogdan, and rubbed his cheek against Alec’s temple.

“I trust Pyotr.” Alec’s voice was weak, pained.

That stung. Alec was injured, how could he say that he trusted someone that wasn’t James?

“James.” Alec’s voice was a little stronger. “Think. We need to get out of here. Trust him.”

James closed his eyes, defeated. He nodded, feeling the strands of Alec’s hair brushing against his cheek.

 

~~~~

 

Alec saw the look of horror on James’ face and started toward him. The blast of heat and pressure caught him off guard, lifting him off his feet. For a moment he was confused, suddenly back at Arkhangelsk, panicking.  _ James! Where was James? _ Then he slammed into the pavement. Everything went black as pain overwhelmed his senses.

Heat. Pain. His ears were ringing. The smell of fire, overheated metal, burning plastic, and burning flesh. He tried to think. Was he still at Arkhangelsk? Did James escape? Then he remembered. Arkhangelsk was long ago. 

This was now. He had rescued James from the kidnappers. They had been leaving, and James had stopped, looking at him in horror. A thread of panic thrummed through him. Was James all right?

Someone dropped down next to him. It was hard to hear, but Alec could make out a broken voice saying, “I love you, you stupid bastard, don’t be dead.”

James! He tried to force himself to roll over, and gave up, groaning. There was a sob, somewhere above him, and then gentle hands on his arms, trying to help him sit up. He steeled himself against the pain. Shoulder, dislocated? His ribs felt bruised, maybe broken. One wrist, maybe sprained? His leg screamed at him and he gasped, tried to flinch away. Everything grayed out for a while.

Strong arms held him against a broad chest. He rubbed his cheek and nose against a shirt, nuzzling into the familiar scent.  _ James. _ He was draped across his lover’s lap. James’ coat was unbuttoned, the sides hanging loose, helping to cocoon him away from the heat and the smell. He shifted, and gasped at the spike of pain from his ribs as he tried to burrow in further.

He bit back a cry as sudden movement jostled him. One side of the coat fell away, allowing him to see James holding a Walther on Pyotr, aiming steadily. Pyotr stopped abruptly, holding his hands up and away from his body.

Pyotr’s voice came to him distorted, as if he were underwater. “Take it easy, boss. I’ll stay right here.”

Alec waited for James to respond. Silence. He watched Pyotr shift uneasily.

“We need to get out of here, boss. The police will be coming, and Alec needs medical help.”

Pyotr’s voice sounded clearer this time. Alec could feel James breathing as the ribs beneath his cheek moved steadily. In. Out. The Walther’s muzzle never wavered from its target. He knew what James was thinking. Someone had told Onatopp where they would be. Someone in their organization was a traitor, and it could be Pyotr. But he was sure it wasn’t. Pyotr had proved his loyalty years ago.

Alec raised a hand with effort, placing his palm on James’ chest. He felt James’ attention shift to include him; James’ arm tightened around him slightly. His breath caught in his throat, and he coughed weakly. It felt like something was clawing at his chest. “James…”

James’ cheek moved gently against his temple. “Alec…” It was a pained murmur.

“We can trust Pyotr.” He felt James stiffen, managed to move his hand to pet James’ chest. He knew that James would be suspicious. 

The Walther’s barrel wavered and dropped. Pyotr came forward. James shifted underneath him, and pain blossomed. Alec mercifully blacked out.

When he became aware again, he was sure that only a short time had passed. He was standing, James’ arm supporting him, while Pyotr broke into a car and hotwired it. Hadn’t they had a second car with them? He shifted enough to see their other car. It wasn’t going to run again — it had been too close to the other car when it exploded.

Then James and Pyotr helped him into the back seat of the hotwired car. James slid into the car beside him, crouched against the back of the front passenger seat. Pyotr got into the driver’s seat.

Before Pyotr put the car in motion, James brought up the Walther, pressing its barrel into Pyotr’s skull, right behind his ear.

Alec tried to get James’ attention, but the movement caused something to shift in his leg. He gasped in pain, and darkness rose over him as he passed out.

 

~~~~~

 

_ “Alec!” _ James’ attention was split, although he didn’t allow the Walther’s barrel to move from its spot against Bogdan’s skull.

“What happened? Is he all right?” Bogdan sounded worried.

James fought back his instinctive paranoia and jealousy. “Drive.”

 

~~~~~

 

Pyotr suppressed a shudder at the feel of the gun barrel against his skull. He moved his eyes, keeping his head still, to look in the rear view mirror. He met dark blue eyes that hadn’t a shred of sanity remaining.

“Drive.”

The voice was rough and grating, as if the sound had been torn from the depths of hell. He licked his lips, debating whether to ask where, then decided to simply put the car in gear. He thought of Moscow traffic and realized he’d need to keep a running commentary of what was going on around them, or else the armed assassin on a hair trigger would blow his head off. He’d seen what happened to Onatopp. It hadn’t been pretty.

As the car pulled away from the curb, his boss had another order for him. “Take us to a doctor.”

“Yes, boss.” He risked another glance at the mirror. James was looking away, presumably down at Alec, laying on the seat, possibly bleeding out. “How’s Alec doing?”

The blue eyes snapped back to the mirror, and the gun barrel pressed a bit harder against his skull. He hoped his boss didn’t shoot while he was driving. He took a deep breath when the gun barrel eased away from his head.

He began a running commentary on the traffic. James didn’t tell him to be quiet, so he figured it was a good idea. He headed toward their safe house. Hopefully James would still trust their doctor. He just wished he was driving their own car. It had a satellite car phone; he would have been able to call Lidiya and tell her they were coming.

At least he’d managed to get a few orders to their men for cleaning up the scene before he and James left the warehouse. When the police arrived, the scene would be as scrubbed of evidence pointing to the Janus Syndicate as they could make it.

 

~~~~

 

Pyotr pulled into the driveway and parked. The gun barrel made its presence known against his skull again.

The front door to their safe house opened, and Dayesi came out. She was affecting a puzzled smile to check out the strangers. 

Pyotr noted the way she held one arm behind her. She was probably armed. Her lover, their doctor Lidiya, was no doubt standing in the entry aiming a shotgun at them. He carefully opened both hands as they rested on the steering wheel, then he slowly moved one arm to the handle to roll down the window. 

Dayesi bent down to look in; her eyes widened when she realized what was going on. She glanced at him. “Pull into the garage when I open the door. I’ll get Lidiya and the wheelchair.”

He nodded, and Dayesi walked quickly back to the house. He looked into the rearview mirror again. At some point the gun barrel had stopped pressing against his skull. James was no longer paying attention to what was going on, seemingly more interested in watching Alec breathe. 

The garage door opened and he drove inside. He’d have to get one of their men to wipe down the interior of the car and dump it somewhere.

Vitaliy was standing next to Dayesi and Lidiya with the wheelchair. Dayesi stopped him from opening the car door by slipping past him and slowly opening it herself.

Pyotr got out of the car and assisted her and Lidiya in getting Alec out of the car and into the wheelchair, where he sagged, unconscious. 

James watched from the car, his anxious eyes never leaving Alec. When Alec was settled, he got out of the car. The anxiety in his eyes shifted to desperation as he aimed the pistol at them. “Fix him.”

Lidiya smiled calmly. “Yes, James. Of course I will fix Alec. Why don’t you come here. You can see that he is safe in the wheelchair while we take him to my surgery.” She gestured towards the wheelchair.

James lowered his pistol, nodding uncertainly.

Pyotr tensed, prepared for anything.

As James approached the wheelchair, bending to see if Alec was all right, Lidiya stepped close behind him and shoved a sleep dart from one of the UNCLE Specials into his neck.

James roared and staggered back, glaring at her with hate in his eyes as he stumbled and went down to one knee.

As James dropped the pistol, Pyotr stepped forward, keeping James from toppling headlong onto the floor.

Lidiya looked at him and Dayesi. “Take James upstairs and put him to bed. I’ll be up to check on him and treat his injuries when I’m done with Alec.”

She turned and strode down the hall towards her surgery with Vitaliy following with Alec.

He and Dayesi hauled James upstairs.

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James and Alec both regain consciousness and attempt to figure out what happened to put them in Lidiya's care.

 

James woke up curled around a familiar body. He knew Alec’s shape, even though he wasn’t lying on his usual side. That oddity nudged at him. Why was he lying on the wrong side of the bed? He realized fuzzily that it was difficult to think, and then he noticed that his head ached, along with every muscle in his body. 

He tried to open his eyes, but he was so tired. Sleep pulled at him, beckoning him back down into its depths, but he resisted. What the hell had happened? He tried to remember until he was distracted by a woman humming.

It was a classical piece, and he let himself drift with the pleasant sound. What was it called? He knew that he’d heard it before. When he remembered, he knew it was Alec’s favorite,  _ Ode to Joy. _ Now that he’d identified the humming, he was able to relegate it to the background.

What was the last thing he could remember? The abandoned building. He’d been preparing to enter it with Filipp and Rodion, but then there had been screeching tires and bullets, and he had seen the other two men go down before everything went black. Were they still alive? 

Then the memory of the men questioning him made itself known and he pushed it away. He’d been tortured enough to not want to deal with it right away. What had happened after that? He remembered golden hair and green eyes looking down at him with concern. Alec. Alarm filled him, and he stiffened, clutching at his lover, reminding himself that Alec was with him. Had Alec been kidnapped too? Were they both in enemy hands?

No, Alec had been part of the rescue. He remembered the relief he’d felt when he saw Alec coming through the door. But something had happened after that. What had it been? He’d followed Alec outside… 

He caught his breath at the vision of his lover flying through the air like a rag doll. Alec had been so still after hitting the ground. Was he all right? “Alec?” 

The humming stopped, and Dayesi’s voice answered him. “Alec will be all right. He’s still sleeping off the sedatives from surgery. Lidiya said he’d wake up later today.”

He pried his eyes open, feeling like they’d been glued shut. They were in what Lidiya was pleased to call ‘recovery,’ the room right across from her clinic surgery, not their own room. At least the medical bed was large enough for both of them. They’d made sure of that after the last time.

He frowned. Why was Dayesi was mixing shaving cream in a bowl? Then his eyes went to the bag of fluid hanging from a pole beside her, with a line leading down to Alec’s arm. 

She glanced at it, and then turned back to him. “Fluids and antibiotics. Lidiya will be here shortly to check on you both.”

Lidiya. He remembered the sudden sting on his neck before he lost consciousness. Part of him wanted to be angry that she had sedated him, but it had probably been for the best. He didn’t clearly remember what had happened after the explosion. A fuzzy memory of holding a gun to Pyotr’s head intruded. He probably owed Pyotr an apology.

“She checked on you after she operated on Alec, and treated your injuries. You’ve got a concussion, bruising, cuts, a few burns, and some stitches. She’ll be checking on you both again in a little while.” She paused, and when he didn’t say anything, she continued. “You should get a shower before she gets here.”

“No.” He wasn’t leaving Alec.

She studied him for a moment, as if weighing his answer. “All right.”

James watched as Dayesi carefully lathered Alec’s face, from where he lay curled against Alec’s right side. Alec had landed hard on the pavement. Whoever put him in bed with Alec had no doubt taken that into account. Alec’s ribs were certainly cracked or broken. 

“What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?”

He kept silent, beginning to fume. Alec was unconscious; it was up to him to protect his lover.

Dark eyes slanted an amused glance at him. “Surely you’ve noticed that Alec prefers to be clean-shaven.”

He gave a grudging nod. He'd noticed that Alec shaved a lot, sometimes both morning and evening. He didn't know why. He hadn't wanted to ask about it, even though he sometimes missed the bite of stubble scratching against his neck, or the scruffy way Alec looked with a few days growth.

“Good. That means you’re at least somewhat observant.” She smiled impishly at him, then turned serious. “Any time he’s unconscious like this, we make sure he’s clean shaven.”

He frowned, trying to remember the last time Alec was injured. Had someone — Dayesi? — shaved Alec then, too? He hadn’t noticed.

She picked up the razor and began applying it in sure, even strokes to Alec’s face. “He can’t grow hair on the burned side. The follicles were destroyed. So, when he gets stubble on the side where he can grow hair, he gets embarrassed and angry.”

She stopped, looking him in the eyes. “It’s a little thing, and not important to anyone but him. But we make sure that he is clean-shaven when he can’t shave himself.”

He nodded, filing that fact away, so he could take care of Alec the next time. Not that he wanted there to be a next time, but really, given their lifestyle it was inevitable. Then he considered Dayesi as she finished her work. He still wasn’t sure about her relationship with Alec. He suspected it was more than they were telling him, but didn’t believe that she was a threat to their relationship, although sensed that she truly cared for Alec.

When she was done, he said, “Thank you.” For explaining, for taking the time to care, went unsaid.

“You’re welcome.” She smiled at him as she gathered up the shaving things into a basin, and then headed to the door. Once there, she turned and said, “I’ll let Lidiya know you’re awake, so she should be in to check on you soon.”

He lay there after she left, watching Alec and thinking about what she had said, until Lidiya arrived.

 

~~~~ 

 

Alec woke slowly, with the fuzzy awareness of distant pain that said strong medication was involved — and that without those drugs he would be in a lot of pain. He wasn’t surprised by the calm he felt. The heavy weight against his scarred side said that James was with him. 

Alarm filled him as he remembered that James had been kidnapped and questioned. How bad were James’ injuries?

He opened his eyes and looked to his side, where dark hair swam into focus. He could only see part of James’ face.  At least James’ breathing was steady and deep as he slept. 

His mind flashed back to another waking in Lidiya’s recovery room. It had been shortly after James had come back into his life, and they’d both been, in Dayesi’s words, ‘idiots.’

 

~*~

 

His side hurt where he’d been shot, and a newly familiar weight against his side confused him. If he was recovering from surgery, why was James sleeping with him?

“He kept having nightmares.” It was Dayesi.

Alec turned his head to look at her. She was sitting in a chair near the bed. “Dayushka.” 

“Yes,” she smiled. “You were sleeping poorly, too. But you both calmed right down when we shoved him in bed with you.” 

He lay back against his pillow and sighed. “We always sleep better together.”

Dayesi’s voice was amused. “So it seems. Just be careful that neither of you roll over. You’ll end up on the floor and undo all of Lilya’s hard work. She’ll be upset.”

 

~*~

 

After that, Lidiya had made sure that there was a larger bed for them to recover in. Neither of them had to sleep alone.

He inhaled cautiously. His ribs complained distantly. Were they broken? That must be why James was lying against his side rather than on his chest. He shifted his arm, checking to see if he could put it around James, and hissed as the movement put pressure on his other shoulder.

“Good, you’re awake.” 

Pyotr. Why did he think it should be Dayesi? Alec turned away from James with an effort. He was so tired. “What happened?”

“Onatopp.” Pyotr’s voice was disgusted. “She launched a rocket at your car. She’s dead — James shot her. Both cars are totaled. We lost the traitor and Misha in the explosion. I left the rest of the our men at the warehouse for cleanup and I drove you and James here. They managed to direct police attention to Zukovsky’s syndicate.”

He nodded, frowning. Something about the drive here, but the memory was obscured by a haze of pain. “Pyotr? When we came here. Did James? I remember…”

Pyotr chuckled. “I thought you might. He held a gun to my head to get you to medical help.”

He remembered being worried about that, through the pain. “He shouldn’t have done that.”

“James was worried about you.”

He let that go. It was up to James to sort it out, and it sounded as though Pyotr wasn’t holding a grudge.

James shifted against his side, and muttered something.

Relief flooded him. “Hey. You awake?”

“No.” Then deep blue eyes shot open and focused on his. “Alec? Are you all right?”

“Are you?” He was more concerned about James than his own injuries.

“Alec —” 

Pyotr interrupted. “Alec had a dislocated shoulder, but Lidiya said that it looks as though it popped back in place almost immediately. Cracked ribs, sprained wrist, shrapnel in his leg, and some burns.”

That didn’t sound too bad.

“You were lucky it wasn’t worse.”

He blinked, wondering why he was hearing a woman’s voice when Pyotr was a man. Then Lidiya came into view. He tried to focus on her, fighting the drugs and exhaustion that were still trying to keep him asleep. “And James?” 

“I’m fine.”

Lidiya ignored the interruption. “All from his interrogation. Other than a mild concussion and a few burns, he’s got soft tissue injuries. Cuts and bruises of varying severity. I stitched up the deeper ones.”

He relaxed. Good. Nothing that James hadn’t had before. And wasn’t that a fucked up thought?

Lidiya checked the line running into his arm, and then fiddled with the bag hanging next to the bed.

He frowned. He hadn’t noticed it was there. He was berating himself for the lapse when he felt darkness closing in on him. He tried to shift closer to James. He couldn’t stay awake.

Lidiya’s voice sounded far away. “Go back to sleep, Alec. You need to rest.” 

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James and Alec take their time recovering. Fortunately, Pyotr and their men are very good at finding out information - and that brings them closer to discovering the identity of their unknown enemy in MI6.

 

Alec lay on the couch in their office suite, watching as James knelt by the coffee table, twitching a string for Rory to pounce at. The game was for James to get the string close enough for the old tom to feel the effort was worth the attempt. Rory was alert and interested, but wouldn’t stir himself unless the string came close enough for him to stretch out a paw. Alec contemplated reaching for the bottle of scotch that had been left on the end table the last time he and James had spent the afternoon drinking, but decided against it. 

They had escaped from Lidiya’s watchful eye by claiming the need to get some paperwork done, but they’d spent most of the time sitting around relaxing. Even though they’d both had enough lazing around during the last few weeks, he knew that he still needed more time to recover. He had just begun doing some rehabilitation exercises to strengthen his injured leg, and Lidiya still insisted that he use a cane when he walked, as much as he hated showing any weakness. James was doing much better — enough that Alec was a little surprised that James wasn’t chaffing at the restrictions that Lidiya had imposed on their recovery.

They had returned to Kiev a few days after his surgery, when he had been able to stay awake for longer than a few minutes. The trip had been long and uncomfortable for both of them, but worth it. Neither of them were able to relax after the betrayals in Moscow. They no longer considered it safe — and Kiev had become their home territory. 

Pyotr had taken control of the investigation to find out who was behind the kidnapping. He was coordinating the efforts of several of their men, all of whom were questioning their contacts for anything that might help. So far, their efforts had been fruitless.

A tap sounded on the door and opened to reveal Pyotr standing in the entryway. “Boss? Zakhar is back. He has some information.”

Alec sat up. Zakhar had been on the trail of the intermediary that had hired the idiots who had kidnapped James. “Bring him in.”

James scooped up a protesting Rory and deposited him on Alec’s lap. “We have a cat. You need to pet him during interviews and be all evil super villain.”

Alec rolled his eyes. Sometimes James’ sense of humour could be… twisted. Of course, his own sense of humour was the same.

Pyotr turned to the hallway and beckoned. Then he came to stand in front of James and Alec, Zakhar on his heels.

Alec was mildly amused to see both men looking askance at the cat before Zakhar launched into his report.

 

~~~~

 

Zakhar left after giving his report, with Pyotr following soon after to reassign some of their men. Some of the things that Zakhar had found out needed further inquiry. Alec wanted to discuss the implications of what Zakhar had told them with James, although he was sure that Pyotr had wanted to stay for that discussion.

After the other two left, James quipped, “At least we know we’re making our enemy nervous.”

Alec glared at him. “We lost three men. If this is the cost, I’d rather not know.”

“True.” James grimaced, embarrassed. “Sorry. I hate losing people. I just… it should be me out there, taking the risks.”

Alec relented. He felt the same way, after all. This enforced inaction was grating. Damn Onatopp. At least she was finally dead and no longer posed a threat to them.  “I know, love.” 

Neither of them were comfortable with people they were responsible for ending up dead. It was one of the reasons they preferred to work alone, and what gave Pyotr and Dayesi fits trying to make sure they had protection. They were Double O’s. They didn’t need to be protected.

Alec petted Rory, who still lay curled in his lap, and looked at James. “Analysis. What do we know? What can we deduce?” 

They both knew all the facts they had available. Zakhar had just told them everything he had found out; but going over the information like this helped them see how those facts fit together.

James got up and began pacing. “Someone gave them the questions through the intermediary that hired them. They didn't know who the puppet master was, just that they needed to send the answers I gave them back to the intermediary.”

“Right.” Alec followed his lover with his eyes. “We could track him down to find out who hired him, but —”

“But according to Zakhar, the intermediary was killed yesterday. In Italy.” James halted and looked at him, scowling. “We don’t know why he was there.”

“The intermediary was in Moscow until just after we rescued you,” he reminded James, feeling frustrated. If they had been better organized, if Onatopp hadn’t tried to kill them, they might have been able to get on the intermediary’s trail immediately. Instead, it had taken a few days — although Pyotr had done an excellent job of getting the investigation started.

James went back to pacing. “The question then becomes, was there a reason the intermediary was in Italy, and is it worth it for us to track that reason down?”

“Maybe the puppet master was there, and he was reporting what he’d found out. Neither of us is in any shape to track down rumors in Italy just yet. We could send someone?”

James stopped again. “That’s possible. We could see if Zev is available. He’s in Greece and he owes us. He could easily make a trip to Italy.”

“That’s a good idea. I’ll contact him later. With any luck, he will find a clue that will lead us to who hired the intermediary. Vsevolod didn't know about the intermediary, just the men that wanted to kidnap you.” He snorted ruefully. “He’s a dead end though.”

James huffed. “Very dead. And he wasn’t the one to tell Xenia where to find us.”

“No. Zakhar said it was Zukovsky pulling the strings for that one.” He was still furious about that.

James smiled, sapphire eyes cold as ice. “Zukovsky will pay.”

“Yes.” His own smile was predatory. Perhaps they’d take care of Zukovsky the same way they’d taken care of Ourumov.

“The things they asked me…” James paused, remembering. “It was as if the puppet Master didn’t know you were still alive. They wanted to know when I found out you were dead — if it was after our mission to Arkhangelsk, or if I had known you were killed in that assassination attempt 4 years ago. They wanted to know if I suspected anyone in MI6.”

“Hmmm…” Alec cocked his head. “You were right, although it’s a steep price for the knowledge. Whoever is behind this is scared.” 

“Not as scared as they will be.” James’ grin was sharklike.

“And they’ll pay for what they did to us.” Alec smirked, satisfaction filling him. He loved it when they were in sync. Whoever their enemy was stood no chance against the two of them. He leaned over to pick up the bottle of scotch and flinched as the movement aggravated his ribs. 

James immediately crossed the room to take the bottle away from him. “What the hell of you think you’re doing?”

“What does it look like? I want a drink.” 

“No.” James turned to put the bottle on the bar. “No alcohol with your pain meds.”

Alec gaped, astonished. “You can’t be serious.”

James shifted, his eyes darting away. “I am. I need you to be all right, Alec. Drugs and alcohol don't mix.”

He rolled his eyes. He couldn’t believe he was having this conversation with James. With Lidiya, maybe, but not James. “We've been self-medicating with alcohol and drugs for years. Combining a few pain meds with some scotch isn't nearly as bad as some of the combinations we’ve done.”

James’ only response was the stubborn set of his jaw.

He studied James, noting the shadows in dark blue eyes. James had been solicitous since the attack, still not quite over the the shock of believing for those first few minutes that he’d died in the explosion. That explosion had reminded them both unpleasantly of Arkhangelsk. He nodded, giving in. “All right.” He didn't really need the scotch, and it was a small thing to make James happy. 

James’ shoulders slumped in relief. “Thank you.”

“Ah, love.” He took James’ hand and tugged lightly. James came easily and Alec situated them so they were lying together on the couch. His ribs ached at the change in position, but the pain was worth it.

 

~~~~

 

In the weeks following, they rested and worked out, getting themselves back in shape before they went hunting. Alec was getting tired of being less than his best, and had been pushing himself in the gym. 

He and James had just returned to their room after another workout. As Alec attempted to pull his shirt over his head, he began to regret pushing himself so hard. His soft grunt of discomfort caught James’ attention. 

James tossed his own shirt in the direction of the hamper. “You okay?”

“A bit sore. I think I overdid it.”

“Of course you did. You always push yourself too hard doing rehab. Come here and lay down on the bed. Shirt off.” A dark brow arched suggestively. “And whatever else you'd like to remove.”

Alec chuckled, but went to the bed, shedding his workout gear until he was nude. Then he lay down on the towel that James had spread over the bed, protecting the bedding from the massage oil. 

James smirked at him, dark blue eyes darkening further, and stroked a hand down Alec’s spine before turning towards the bathroom. “I’ll be right back.”

Alec got comfortable, lying on his stomach, and pillowed his head on his arms. He heard James come back, bare feet almost soundless on the floor. 

James straddled his waist. He could feel a slight tickling from James’ cock as it trailed over his back while James worked the knots out of his muscles, alternating deep pressure with sensual touches stroking along his back and sides. 

He felt like purring as James worked. The massage wasn't intended to be sexually arousing, it was just the two of them, being together, touching. 

 

~~~~

 

Alec pulled himself through the water, relishing the slight ache in his leg. It was so much better than the tearing pain after the explosion. The long weeks of rehab had paid off. When he reached the end of the pool and did a flip turn, but instead of pushing off, he simply floated on his back, lazily sculling through the water.

He grinned when the sound of a soft splash reached his ears. When a pair of strong arms reached for him, he was prepared. He slipped out of his opponent’s arms and turned, reaching out to dunk his opponent under the water.

James retaliated, and they spent the next few minutes trying to drown each other and laughing.

Eventually, they ended up floating together, James holding him, back to front, nuzzling his ear. “Your leg is better.” 

“Yes.” He tilted his head, a silent invitation for James to continue, and grinned when James nipped his ear instead.

“Then it’s time.”

Alec nodded. Sometime in the next two weeks, he and James would slip into England. MI6 had better watch out. Janus was about to unleash havoc on them. The time had come.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I love reviews, comments, and any other sort of communication. Feel free to stop in to say hi - you can find me on Tumblr at leavesdancing.tumblr.com. You can find the artist at LasenbyPhoenix.tumblr,com.


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